Subject Overview: When Executives and Managers are busy putting out fires, innovation can fall by the wayside. Understanding how Innovation happens, and how to save time for it, paves the way for innovation on the part of the individual Manager as well as the organization. Through lecture, discussion and case studies, this course will give Managers the knowledge and motivation necessary to generate, formalize and implement innovative ideas that provide real benefit to their customers.

Course Outcomes:
Students of this course will return to work with: • Improved potential for managers to generate and implement innovative ideas• An understanding of The Innovation Process• Practical techniques for fostering and communicating innovation• Strategies for developing “trusted advisor” relationships with customers

Course Outline:

Innovation: The Key to The Future

Innovation vs. Creativity

The Innovation Process

Nourishment

Creativity

Resourcefulness

Formalization

Execution

A Path to a Solution

Innovation as a Process Over Time

Mini-Case: Innovation in Action

Innovation Process: Nourishment

Being a Leader

Understanding the Business

Understanding Your Customers

Understanding Your Customers’ Customers

Relating to Customers –Trusted Advisors

Understanding Your Product

Increasing Your “Luck”

Thinking Strategically, Tactically, Operationally

Mental Processes

Making Time for Innovation

Discipline

Innovation Process: Creativity

What is Creativity?

Avoiding Mental Obstacles

Sources of Innovative Ideas

Ah ha!

Borrowing

Mining

Problem Analysis

Problem Solving

Seeing the Opportunity

Defining the Threat/Opportunity

Little Ideas Can Have a Big Impact

Idea Generation & Capture

Innovation Process: Resourcefulness

What is Resourcefulness?

Seeking the “Can’t”

Targeted Problem Solving

Resourcefulness Techniques & Capture

Innovation Process: Formalization

What is Formalization?

Translating Potential Innovation Into Customer-Meaningful Offerings

Conceptualizing the Solution

Documenting the Innovation

Understanding Change

Stakeholder Analysis

Managing Objections

Communicating the Innovation

Gaining Support for the Innovation

Innovation Process: Execution

Innovation Only Occurs with Execution

Stages of Execution

Proof of Concept

Shake Out

Roll Out

Establishing a Basis for Assessing Results

Developing a Plan

Managing the Plan

Supporting Skills

Creative Problem Solving

Idea-Generation Techniques

Problem Analysis

Collaboration

Framework for Structuring an Innovation Workshop

Bonus: Overcoming Barriers to Innovation

Individual Barriers

Group Barriers

Organizational Barriers

Bonus: Survey of Formal Techniques

Process Reinvention

Six Sigma

Kepner- Tregoe Rational Problem Solving

Fifth Discipline, Including Learning Organization and System Thinking and Others

Case Study

Who Should Attend:
Executives, Managers, Project Managers, Business Analysts, Account Managers, and anyone who is charged with generation new, innovative ideas